Review: 5 entry-level DSLRs under US$900

Melissa J. Perenson |
Oct. 15, 2014

Today's entry-level DSLRs--from companies like Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony--are better than ever, offering plenty of oomph to get you started and the ability to grow with you as your skills and needs change and evolve.

You've seen others toting them, those bulky black cameras hanging heavily around the neck. No way you can slip one of these into your pocket, as you would a cell phone or even a point-and-shoot. So you make do with your smartphone, and you've been doing just fine.

Fine, that is, until you try to take a picture of an speedy toddler or a candle-lit party, both of which your phone's camera renders as blobby blurs. Fast-moving subjects and challenging lighting conditions are just two of the reasons you might consider stepping up to a digital SLR.

DSLRs aren't just for professionals. The entry-level range--which I'll define as cameras costing less than $1,000--are a fine first port of entry for budding shutterbugs who want to step up from smartphones and point-and-shoots. Sure, you can spend lots and lots of money on a camera, and as you do you'll get faster shooting speeds, more focus points, better telephoto images, and improved low-light handling. But today's entry-level DSLRs--from companies like Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony--are better than ever, offering plenty of oomph to get you started and the ability to grow with you as your skills and needs change and evolve.

Sure, sometimes it's clear that these aren't top-of-the-line cameras: In some cases, you'll run into stiff switches and dials or inordinately loud and clunky shutters. But overall, it's impressive just how functional the more affordable models can be. In fact, they even have some advantages over their high-end counterparts. For one thing, most are smaller and lighter: The Canon T5 weighs 1 pound, and the Nikon D3300 just 0.9 pound.

The candidates So which one of these entry-level DSLRs might be right for you? To find out, we looked at the Canon T5, the Canon T5i, the Nikon D3300, the Pentax K-50, and the Sony Alpha a58. All five share a few basic characteristics. When you're trying to catch that elusive speeding toddler, all but one (the Canon T5) can shoot at least five frames per second, and the Pentax bumps that up to six. All offer the kinds of shooting controls that'll let you capture images in low light and other challenging conditions. They all weigh between 0.9 and 1.3 pounds--noticeably lighter than the typical enthusiast or professional camera.

As you'd see by comparing the Canon T5 and T5i, these entry-level models can often be similar in design, but still be quite different in functionality. For example, the T5i adds an articulating touchscreen display and a better image processor compared to the T5, and has a better design with more shooting modes and features.

All five of these cameras use smaller SLR sensors than you'd find on full-frame DSLRs like the Canon EOS 6D or the Nikon D610 (which start at around $2000 for the camera body only). We tested all five models with their 18-55mm kit lenses.